GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER: "WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH TURKEY"

Regnum, Russia
Oct 24 2006

Countries, involved in project of construction of
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku (Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia – REGNUM)
railway have sufficient will and capital, which enable saying that
the project will be realized; Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and State
Minister for European and Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze said
in an interview with the Turkish Daily News.

According to the minister, Georgia has no doubts that a proposed
railway project linking his country with Turkey and Azerbaijan will
be realized despite recent decision by the US Senate to block any
funding for it from the US Export-Import Bank. Responding to question
whether the US Senate’s decision, backed by US Senate pro-Armenian
group, would affect the fate of the project, Baramidze said: "Not at
all. There is already money coming from Turkey and Azerbaijan. There
is the will of three countries to do this. So it will happen."

Armenia opposes the Kars (Turkey)-Javakheti (Georgian area, populated
by ethnic Armenians)-Tbilisi-Baku railway project, which would bypass
Armenia from the north. Pro-Armenian groups in the USA argue against
the project, saying the regional countries have already been linked by
railway passing through Armenia. However, the route is not functioning
because of blockade, imposed on Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, Georgi Baramidze is sure that the Kars-Akhalkalaki project
is economically viable. According to him, if it is realized, it may
be of benefit for all regional countries, including Armenia.

According to Baramidze, Armenia should demonstrate constructive
approach, rejecting its position, according to which the region
does not need new railways because there is the existing one which
is inactive due to serious problems between Turkey and Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Baramidze believes that if the railway via Armenia were active,
investors would not have thought about building another one. Also,
he pointed to fact that it was difficult to say when the existing
railway could ever become operational, given the rising tension between
Turkey and Armenia. "Because the existing one is not functioning,
certainly the new one should be functioning, making a profit."

It is worth stressing; Turkey has ignored the decision of the US
Congress, stating the project never needed financing from countries
not involved in the project.

As for French National Assembly’s bill criminalizing public denial
of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, the Georgian state minister
stressed that "such decision would not contribute to normalization of
relations between Turkey and Armenia and regional safety." According
to him, such decision does not contribute to healthy dialogue between
Turkey and the EU, too. "We support Turkey’s joining NATO," Baramidze
stressed. In its turn, the Turkish periodical stresses that "Georgia,
complaining of what it calls Russian imperialistic ambitions in
its region, is eager for integration with Western institutions,
most notably NATO." Baramidze said that his country was eyeing
stronger ties with Turkey, particularly economic ones. Turkey and
Georgia are negotiating a preferential trade agreement. "Georgia’s
economic borders are wide open to Turkey, and the Georgian economy
is practically becoming part of the Turkish economy, as we feel very
comfortable with Turkey," Baramidze stated.